Battery service kit and container therefor



March 31, 1953 B. F. w. HEYER, 2,633,237

BATTERY SERVICE KIT AND CONTAINER THRREFOR Filed Jan. 24, 1951 7 1 -7 /J INVENTOR /J M BENJAMIN WHAT-YER Y ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 31, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERY SERVICE KIT AND CONTAINER THEREFOR Benjamin F. W. Heyer, Belleville, N. J.

Application January 24, 1951, Serial No. 207,552

1 Claim.

f This invention relates to a battery service kit `and has specific reference to a portable con- Ation to the test meter, it has been designed to carry in combination a water jar, tools for servicing of terminals of batteries, a self-leveling syringe, and a waterproof compartment for tickets or service slips. The entire base of the container is covered with a resilient material such as molded rubber to prevent damage to vehicle finishes when the container is placed on the surface of a Vehicle. All the items within the container are protected from contact with each other and the test meter is carried in such fashion that battery tests may be made Without removing the body of the meter from the container.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a battery service kit which includes in one portable container, a refill jar, a iilling syringe, an electric test meter and cord, and a complete set of battery service tools.

Another object of this invention is to provide a single portable battery service kit including a container for the items mentioned and in which the various items are separated from each other and protected from shock and damage during rough handling of the container.

Still another object of this invention is to 'provide a battery service kit of the character described including a container which has a base completely covered with resilient material so that damage to vehicle finishes is minimized.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a testkit of the character described wherein a vehicle battery may be tested without removing the test meter from the container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a battery test kit of the character described wherein the test meter is suspended in shockproof position beneath a movable cover portion of the container and a movable clamp permits ready insertion and removal of the meter.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a test kit of the character described which is clean and makes battery servicing quick and accurate and in which all testing and servicing items are contained in one portable container.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, which will become more apparent during the course of the following description. the invention consists in the features and combinations hereinafter set forth.

In order to make the invention more fullyv understood, preferred embodiments thereof have been made the subject of illustration in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the battery service kit and container of this invention showing how the electric test meter is suspended beneath a hinged portion of the cover; and

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section of the container of this invention.

In its briefest concept, the present invention embodies a battery service equipment container for storing and transporting in a single unit the following items: a rell jar and syringe therefor, a battery test meter with an extension cord and test prod, and battery servicing tools. The overall container is made of rigid material and has a handle and a rubber covered base. Part of the cover of the container is fixed to the container and has an aperture therethrough about which is a lining for positioning the mouth of the refill jar. The other part of the cover is hinged to the container and has clamp means for suspending the test meter beneath said hinged part. Panels within the container provide separate compartments for battery servicing tools and slips of paper. In the end of the container adjacent the tool compartment is an aperture which is left open for easy access to the tools carried by the container. Y

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows the container I0 of this invention. This container is preferably made of sheet steel which is protected with acid-resisting enamel. The container has side walls I I and end walls I2. Covering the base of the container is a continuous one piece molded rubber covering I3 having pads I3 thereon. This rubber covering I3 is screwed onto the base by screws I3 passing up through the center of the pads I3. A rigid handle I4 is provided for carrying the container and a cover generally designated as I5 closes the top of the container.

As shown in Figures l and 2, part of the cover I6 is fixed to the top of the container by screws I'I. The other part of the cover I8 is cut away from the part I6 and hinged thereto by a hinge I9 consisting of two opposed brackets 20 and a set of pivot screws 2| at opposite ends of the hinge. A strip of sheet metal I6' is secured to the inside of the xed part I6 of the cover along the cutaway edge thereof to reinforce said edge and to close the opening between the parts I6 and I8 when the part I8 is closed. A lip 22 is provided at the free end of the movable part I8 of the cover as a finger catch for raising the cover.

Carried within the container I0 and beneath the fixed part I6 of the cover is a glass, ywater filling jar 23 having an open top 24. In the preferred form, this jar has a capacity of two quarts of water. An aperture 25 is cut in the top of the part I6 of the cover, and a combination rubber gasket and filling orifice 26 is positioned to form a lining within the aperture 25. The gasket 26 has an inner flange 2'I which extends vertically within the mouth of the jar 23 anda lateral flange 28 which extends between 3 the top edge of the jar at the mouth 24 and the underside of the cover I6 -to hold the jar in fixed position within the container and at the same time cushion it from shock due to rough handling. A tapered inner throat 29 is formed in the gasket 25. A leveling syringe 30 is seated, as shown by the dotted lines, within the throat 29 to form a waterproof and dustproof'seal at the mouth of the filling jar.

Carried within the container is an open circuit voltage test meter 40 having an elongated cord 4I and a forked prod member 42 consisting of two opposed prongs 43 with an upper handle 44. Unique means are provided for carrying this test meter and its related parts so that the sensitive meter will not be damaged in rough handling of the test kit container and so that, if desired, battery tests may be made without removing the meter from the container. The meter is suspended within the container against Ia panel 50 which is attached by screws 5I to the hinged part I8 of the cover in spaced relation from the top surface of said cover as shown. This panel has a slot 52 extending from the inner edge thereof. For carrying and holding the meter 40 against the panel 50, a plurality of clamps 53 are provided. These -clamps have rubber tips 54 for holding the meter in cushioned suspension. Asv shown, -two ofthe clamps 53 are fixed to the free ends of the plate 50, which are bent up to provide a spring-like support for the clamps,

At the upper end of the slot 52, the clamp 53 is spring-loaded so that it may be moved in a direction away from the clamps at the other end of the panel. for easy insertion and removal of the meter from the container. This springloaded construction of, the clamp includes a bracket 55 which is secured to the panel 50 and a -bracket 5,6 secured to the end of the clamp 53 with a pivot` pin 51 joining the two brackets and a spring 58 forcing the clamp 53 in the direction f the pair of clamps at the other end of the panel 50. It will be noted that a hook shaped bracket 50, yat the back of the meter 40 extends up through the slot 52 of the panel 50. This bracket 60 is provided so. that the meter 40 may be hung up, if desired, on some other object.

Also beneath the hinged part I8 of the cover and spaced a considerable distance down inside of the container is an inclined panel 'III which has a horizontal portion Il secured to thel inside ofthe end wall I2 oiv the vcontainer and a vertical portion 'I2 with a flange 'I3 for supporting the inclined panel within the container. This inclined panel supports the prod 42 and the cord 4I extending from the meter 4I). A guard plate 'I4 protectstthe yglass jarV 23 from objects resting on thed upper surface of the inclined panel '10. Beheath, the inclined panel is formedA a separate compartment for accommodating battery servicing tools. An aperture 'I6 is cut into the side. wall I2 of the container of sucient size so that a mans hand may pass within the compartment 15. In this manner, tools may be readily inserted and removed from the compartment 15.

A. vertical panel 'I'I is spaced from the end wall I2 above the portion II and provides a compartment 8D for slips of paper or service tickets, etc. This. panel TI has a lower horizontal flange 'I8 which is welded or otherwise secured to the portion 'II for maintaining thepanel 'I'I in xed position. A slot 'I9 is providedA along the top edge of the panel I'I in the center thereof so that tickets may be easily removed from the compartment 80.

It will benoted that the container of'this invention is handy and easy to carry. The meter and the water jar are cushioned against shock while carried within the container and are also protected against water and dirt when the container is closed. Because Iof the rubber covering I3, the container may be placed on any part of a Vehicle, such as the fender, without scratching same.- Though the test meter may be instantly removed by pressing the spring-loaded, rubber covered clamp '53, the meter may be retained in position beneath the hinged part of the cover when it is raised to the open position and the prod 42 placed across the cells of the battery so that a test may be obtained immediately after refilling the batteries with water which has been obtained from the. container. In the nal analysis, this service kit and container with its open circuit voltage. test meter provides a clean, quick and accurate means of testing and servicing batteries.

It will be understood that various changes may be made su-ch as in the size, shape and arrangement of parts or by the substitution of equivalents without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the form or uses shown, except to the extent indicated in the appended claim, which is to be interpreted as broadly as the state of the art will permit.

I claim;

In combination with a rigid, metal container for a battery testkit having side walls and a base, a handle, a one piece resilient covering for said base, acover for said container, one part of said cover being fixed to the container, the other part being hinged tothe said fixed part for opening thereon, an aperture defined in the top of the fixed par-t of the cover, a water jar beneath said aperture, a rubber lining about said aperture dening Aa flexible tapered throat, -a lling syringe, said syringe engageable with the tapered throat of the rubber lining` to form a waterand dirtproof seal over the water jar, an electric test meter, an inner panel xed to the said hinged part of the cover for carrying the electric test meter in shockproof suspension, said panel having a plurality of clamps thereon for engaging the meter, one of said clamps being spring loaded to enable ready insertion and removal of the test meter, asecond panel dividing the container below the other part of the cover into vertically separated upper and` lower compartments, the upper compartment containing the test meter and the lower compartment being for tools for servicing the battery, a partition blocking off the lower compartment from the water jar, an aperture dened in the side wall of the container adjacent the lower compartment for access to said tools and a vertical panel in the upper compartment spaced from the end wall to provide a space for papers.

BENJAMIN F. W. HEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS 

